THE FOREST is an extremely low budget independent slasher film made in 1982. I imagine most horror fans will have never heard of it, so perhaps they might be eager to find out what delights it holds. So what does this film have to offer to the average horror fan? For a start there's the gore, which is very mild but still packs a punch, seeing as all of the people on screen actually have their own characters. Then there's the bad acting, which is always good for a laugh - check it out when one of the guys starts heavily emoting in the woods. It'll make you cringe! Otherwise there are some strange jump-cuts which obscure the action and a hilarious unexpected moment at the finale in which the film becomes slow-motion and the screen flickers repeatedly for no discernible reason. It's one of those "rewind" moments which makes you wonder what on earth they thought they were doing.Also check out the scene where a victim supposedly "dies" on a circular saw blade - it's pretty obvious that the saw isn't switched on as the blade isn't turning. Despite this we hear a whirring noise and the guy falls down dead - noticeably bloodless, though. Although most people will hate this movie because it's so poorly made, I think the setting holds a lot of suspense and atmosphere for the film which makes it at least partly effective. Just don't expect a masterpiece, expect the worst possible and you might be nicely surprised.

A cannibalistic backwoods killer is on the prowl and two bickering couples might be his next source of protein in this bargain basement Friday the 13th-clone cheapie. There s literally nothing of interest to see in this one, the killings are surprisingly sparse and when they do happen, completely amateurish. It also adds ghosts into the mix for no reason what so ever. I felt drained after watching it as if my brain was liquefying and draining out my nose. And it remains without a doubt Donald Jones' worst movie. If you're thinking of renting it because of Code Red's snazzy new DVD re-release Don't botherMy Grade: F

Forest, The (1982) * 1/2 (out of 4) Yet another rip off of Friday the 13th, although this one here tries to be somewhat different by adding a ghost aspect. Two couples plan on going camping but the wives go one way while the husbands go the other way. Soon a hermit is stalking them because he needs something to eat. This film was shot for under $40,000 and it's easy to see on the screen. The acting is fair to say the least and the special effects are really poor but the direction isn't too bad. There are a couple good chase scenes but this hardly make the film worth watching. The subplot with the hermits ghost children is interesting but it really doesn't add too much. The film has a couple good moments but even at 85-minutes it's hard to sit through.

~Spoiler~I watched two forest-themed slasher movies this weekend: Don't Go in the Woods and this one, The Forest. They were both equally bad, but one of them was fun. This one was just plain stupid. The Forest is your usual dreck with campers getting offed one by one by a demented backwoods killer. Unfortunately our demented backwoods killer (played by Gary Kent) is one of the least threatening characters ever! The guy just wants to eat. Can you blame him? The killer in The Forest would be a victim in a movie like Madman or The Burning. That's how menacing he is. On top of that, there is a supernatural angle with the ghosts of his children keeping him company and helping out the campers. Weird. There are plenty of great forest slashers out there; No need to see this one.